C365 Themes Challenge
by Phasmidfan
Summary: A series of short one-shots based on the books. Having lots of fun writing these. Hope you enjoy :
1. Starving

Hello! This is basically a themes challenge, where I randomly generate a different theme from a given list and then give myself 15 mins (give or take) to write anything I can come up with. Randomness ensues!

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**Theme: Starving**

The cold, wet rain was dripping down over the eaves of the store front under which Cal was sheltering. He shivered as he pulled his hoodie closer around him, staring out through the depressing gloom of the evening. A couple of people were walking past, mostly business men hurrying to get home or catch a taxi. No one paid any attention to Cal. He was just like any other tramp. A raggedy, hungry hobo crouching on the street.

Hungry.

Cal's stomach was grumbling alarmingly. He hadn't had anything to eat all day. Flat out of cash, and with Boges unable to reach him, there was no chance of any food. He sighed and stared at a glimmer of lights around the street corner. A warm, delicious smell wafted through the air towards him, the savoury smell of frying garlic. Cal licked his lips and imagined a bite of hot, greasy pizza sliding down his throat. Wonderful. Stretchy, melting cheese topped with salty pepperoni and crisp onion. It would be accompanied by an ice-cold, fizzy glass of lemonade, much better than the stale water he'd been forced to drink from the public tap. For dessert he would have his Mum's chocolate mousse… fluffy, creamy, sugary sweet….

Cal sighed, shaking away the thoughts. There was no point thinking about food when he had no way of obtaining any. It would just make him worse. There was a rustling nearby, and he glanced down to see a rat darting through the shadows before scuttling into a sewer. He was so hungry, he could have eaten that rat. Bones and all. Crunch crunch. He could almost taste the matted fur between his teeth and the slippery feel of it's tail, like a long, thick strand of spaghetti. A violent shudder wrecked his body, and he nearly wretched from the thought. He blinked furiously and tried to focus on good food again. He wasn't so mad yet, not so crazy as to consider eating disease-ridden vermin. He rearranged his hoodie and sighed again loudly. Where was Griff and his chips when you needed him?

Unable to take it any longer, Cal stood up and stretched his tired limbs before starting a slow trek to the train station. He'd promised not to bother Repro any more, but hunger was getting the better of him. He'd just have to beg the man to help him and end up owing him another favour. Again.

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Ahh, 'tis rather short. C365 needs more stories! I love hearing feedback/criticism so please review! :)


	2. Starved for Affection

OK, this one is rather random... Repro is OOC and I wasn't really sure how to finish it, so the ending is kind of lame :)

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**Theme: Starved for affection**

Cal rapped on the back of the filing cabinet briskly, clutching a plastic bag of chips and burgers. He'd been staying with Repro for a couple of days, and had just popped out to get lunch. There was an urgent rustling sound from within, and a couple of objects seemed to topple over.

"Are you alright in there?" Cal called, trying to keep his voice down so as not to raise attention to himself.

"Yes, yes," Repro muttered impatiently. There was a clicking sound, and the back of the cabinet swung open. Cal jumped in just in time to see Repro rubbing his head with a towel.

"I washed my hair," Repro said to his raised-eyebrows-look.

"Ah." Cal went over to the table, which Repro had already set with second-hand crockery, and began dividing the food. His stomach grumbled noisily. Repro danced around, rubbing his hair vigorously before tossing the towel onto a pile of various other objects and making his way towards the table. As he sat down, a strong, sort of spicy-sweet smell wafted towards Cal.

"That was some shampoo you used," he commented, popping a couple of chips into his mouth.

Repro shrugged, his mouth full of meat patty and bun. "I get what I find." His hair was still rather damp and stringy. But then again, he always looked rather… unwashed.

"You find _shampoo_ left on the trains?"

"Nah." Repro chewed heartily before swallowing. "I found a voucher for 3 free bottles. Part of some new promotion."

When he had finished eating, Cal announced his intention of having a nap. He was tired from all the running and excitement of the past week and wasn't sure how long it would be until he had another safe place to sleep. Repro was more than happy to oblige. He set Cal up in an ex-army camping bed with a couple of soft pillows and a large, floral quilt which had belonged to some old lady. Cal sunk into the comfortable bed and was soon fast asleep.

Cal woke a couple of hours later to the sound of Repro muttering to himself. He peeked over the edge of the voluminous quilt to see Repro parading in front of a full-length mirror. The man was dressed in a long, slightly-oversized pinstripe suit with polished black shoes and a felt top hat swirling around on one hand. The other hand was spiking up his hair which looked glistening and wet. As he brushed his overgrown locks upwards, a familiar spicy scent floated through the air. Cal grinned to himself. So much for shampoo. Repro had doused his hair with some sort of strong gel.

"You're a handsome guy, aren't ya?" Repro cooed to himself, striking what he must have through was a dramatic pose. Cal couldn't contain himself, and burst out laughing. Repro swung around, alarmed and immediately turning pink.

"What on earth are you doing?" Cal spluttered, leaping out of bed and snatching the top hat away from him. Repro looked bashful. Up close, Cal could see his hair was so full of gel it was practically stiff.

"Just… having a little amusement," he stammered. Cal stared at him quizzically.

"Well," he continued, "living alone as I do, no one ever comments on my looks or dress. A man can't go too long without a speck of praise, can he? My mother used to like dressing me up as a kid…"

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Yeah... lame ending. Reviews welcome!


	3. Impossibly Out Of Shape

Just a note: This is based on the books, therefore Boges is overweight... (I love Boges btw, yet I tend to tease him in my stories.)**  
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**Theme: Impossibly out of Shape**

Cal and Boges were running.

They had been running for a couple of blocks now, after being sighted by Kelvin.

Cal dodged around a sharp corner and skidded behind a tree, glancing back for any sign of pursuit. It was then that he noticed Boges was missing. He was just about to run back in search of his friend when, with a loud puffing noise, Boges stumbled around the corner. Cal grabbed his arm and pulled him with surprising strength into a nearby alley, peering out. There was no sign of Kelvin.

"Are you alright?" Cal asked anxiously, turning to Boges who was sitting on the ground, panting furiously. His face was red from the exertion and his forehead beaded with sweat.

Boges held up one hand. "I'm fine," he said finally, between breaths.

Cal sat down beside him, feeling strange that he too was not gasping for breath. In fact, he had barely worked up a sweat from the sudden sprint.

"Dude," Boges said, shaking his head in disbelief, "I don't know how you do it."

"Neither do I," Cal admitted, flexing his arms. He was stronger and tougher after so many months on the run.

"I," Boges continued, "am impossibly out of shape."

"You're not bad for a science nerd who spends most of his free time building robots," Cal said kindly.

Boges gave him a skeptical look. "I should exercise more. In fact, I did sort of arrange with Madeline to go for a jog…"

"Sort of?" Cal asked, punching him playfully. "That your idea of a date? Are you sure she would want to go running with a dumpling like you?"

Boges snorted. "She asked me."

"Oh ho ho!"

"Shut up." Boges wiped his forehead with a large checkered hanky. He looked exhausted.

"If you stick around me for much longer, you'll be doing a lot more running," Cal teased. Boges groaned at the prospect. As if in answer to Cal's joke, there was a skid of tyres. Cal raced to the edge of the alley and peered out.

"It's the blue Mercedes! We have to go!" Pulling tired Boges to his feet, Cal began running further down the narrow lane. Boges pounded along behind him, swearing and puffing with every step. They skidded to a stop in front of a tall, wire fence.

"Oh no…" Boges winced as he saw Cal begin expertly scaling the obstruction. "I can barely run, yet alone climb vertical objects like the next spider-man…"

"Hurry up!" Cal reached out a hand from the top. Boges grabbed it and began scrabbling up the fence, shaking the whole structure precariously. With great effort, he reached the top before tumbling over the other side, bouncing into a pile of stinking garbage bags and eventually crushing a set of empty cardboard boxes as he rolled to a stop.

"Hey, I did it!" he exclaimed proudly, as Cal helped him up. He looked up at the fence and began estimating it's height. "Never thought I could do that. Never! Not even in gym class have I ever…"

"Come on!" Cal urged. Boges gave him a confused look. "Huh? We made it over the fence. Now what do we have to do?"

Cal sighed. "We keep running…"

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Ahh poor Boges! Please review! :)


	4. Fast Food

Sorry about Griff, he's rather OOC.

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**Theme: Fast food**

Cal, Winter and Boges had decided to meet in a shopping mall for lunch. With his dyed black hair and fake studs, Cal looked sufficiently abnormal to feel safe eating out in public. Just as they were gathering around a table, a familiar voice caught their attention.

"I see you've got a table for four there. Mind if I join you?"

They turned to see Griff Kirby walking towards them, a broad grin on his freckled face. Cal sighed inwardly. Griff had recognised him instantly. Did that mean other people would as well?

"Don't worry. I won't split on you," Griff said, guessing Cal's thoughts. He sat down at the table without waiting for them to invite him. Awkwardly, the others took their seats as well, Cal trying to keep his head down so as to avoid recognition.

"How's it all going with your great mystery?" Griff asked, trying to start a conversation.

"It's going alright," Cal said, glancing at the others. He was reluctant to let Griff in on their plans or give him too much information. There was no telling who the rogue would pass it onto.

"Never mind!" Griff held his hands up in mock defeat. "I can see you don't want to tell me your secrets. What shall we eat?" He scanned the busy food court, eyes roaming over the brightly lit stores and queues of people.

"I was thinking burgers and chips," Boges suggested. Griff tutted.

"Burgers and chips! It's always burgers and chips with you lot!"

Winter raised her eyebrows. "You have a better idea?"

"Our chance to eat out, and you go for burgers and chips?" Griff shook his head disbelievingly. "I've looked after myself for so long, and I've eaten so many burgers and chips it's not funny. I've practically been living off fast food."

"Well, apart from fast food there aren't many options," Boges said. "Except for the Japanese restaurant over there, and that's a little out of our league."

Griff twisted round to see. "Out of your league? Come on guys… try something new!"

"We're not exactly brimming with cash. We need to save our money for more important things, not gourmet food," Winter said coldly, feeling slightly irritated with this orange-haired boy.

"That's not a problem!" Griff rose and pulled out his wallet. It was an expensive-looking, brown leather case. He opened it and pulled out a wad of cash. "I'll shout."

"Where did you get that from?" Boges asked suspiciously.

Griff sighed. "Always suspecting me. Am I that bad? No worries. My aunt gave it to me. She's not much of a cook but she's good with pocket money." He ignored the others' suspicious stares. "Trust me. She handed it over fair and square." Without another word, he walked over to restaurant.

Minutes later he returned with a tray filled with sashimi, the raw fish and steak glistening under the fluorescent food court lights. The others took one look at the entirely foreign food before exchanging knowing glances. Boges reached out and pushed the try directly in front of Griff.

"It's all yours dude."

"But… what about you guys?" Griff paused, chopsticks poised in mid-air.

Winter stood up and took out her own purse. "I think we'll go for burgers and chips."

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They do eat burgers/chips rather a lot in the books. LOL. Please review!


	5. Fail With Honour

I had fun writing this one :)

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**Theme: Fail with honour**

Cal was falling. He'd been walking along the beach at Dolphin Point with Boges when they'd caught sign of some of Sligo's thugs. They'd taken off at a run and had chosen a rather raggedy path through some bushes close to the cliff-edge. In his panic, Cal had failed to notice the jagged crack in the worn footpath. He had tripped and was now tumbling over the edge towards the sea far below.

Suddenly, with a gigantic yell, he felt a firm hand grip his wrist, stopping him painfully. He looked up to see Boges reaching down, clinging onto him for dear life.

"Boges! Thank goodness!" Cal's voice cracked with relief. He could feel gravity pulling him down, and he scrabbled to find a firmer foothold on the rocky surface. His sneakers slipped and his knees banged painfully against the rocks. "Can you pull me up?"

Boges' face was strained. "I… don't think so. I'm barely stopping myself from falling down as well. I have my feet wrapped around a stout bush."

Cal thought desperately for some solution. It was difficult to concentrate when he was 100m in the air, held only by one hand by his best friend, who was himself in a precarious position. With his free hand he patted his pockets. "I think I can just about reach my mobile phone," he grunted, stretching to push his hand into his pocket. "I'll call for help."

"That would be a good idea," Boges puffed. "The blood's already rushing to my head from reaching down so long."

Finally managing to free his phone, Cal placed an urgent call to Winter. As soon as she heard of their trouble, she left at once to bring help.

"Right. Winter's coming!" Cal tried to put his phone back in his pocket, but a sudden gust of wind caused him to kick out in panic, and the phone dropped from his hand, tumbling against the cliff-face and out of sight. Boges swore. "Guess we're dependent on Winter now. I hope she's not too long."

There was a minute of silence, both too fearful of their dangerous position to strike up much conversation.

The silence was broken by a loud, ripping sound.

"What was that?" Cal gasped fearfully as Boges shifted slightly.

"Nothing," he muttered. "I've got hold of you, don't worry."

There was another loud, ripping sound.

"Boges!"

"I do believe my pants have torn, Cal."

"Oh." Cal bit his lip, imaging the extremely embarrassing situation for his friend. "Is it very bad?"

"I daren't turn around to see."

"Alright. Don't worry about it too much. Are your feet still firm?"

"Yep."

A few minutes later, the sound of ripping again caused them both to wince.

Winter finally arrived, armed with a strong rope. Sensing Boges' sensitive position, she declined to comment on his attire and concentrated on passing the rope down to Cal. Within minutes, he was back on solid ground, nearly shaking with relief.

"Let me see your pants, Boges."

Cal took a quick glance, before gasping in horror and thrusting his jacket at Boges. His friend thankfully took the garnet and tied it around his waist, red with shame. Cal helped him to his feet, swinging a brotherly arm around his shoulders. "You were a life-saver, Boges."

"We'll never mention this incident again," Winter said sweetly. "It was a very honourable thing for you to do, hanging on as you did."

"Yeah, an honourable fail," Boges muttered. "Let's… let's go get something to eat."

His friends were only too happy to oblige.

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Sorry Boges ^^. You are forever my favourite character.


	6. Miscommunication

This is a bit of a boring one.

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**Theme: Miscommunication**

"You hungry?" Boges entered the room of the Dolphin Point mansion, where Cal was sprawled on the carpet, reading a few-days-old newspaper he had found in a recycling bin. He sat up as the smell of hot chips wafted over to him.

"Sure! Toss it here."

"What?" Boges gasped in mock horror. "Risk tossing good, hot food to you when it could spill and be wasted on the ground?" He walked over and sat down as Cal glanced down at the clean, white carpet. "I've eaten off worse."

They were only a few chips in, however, when the sound of keys jangling in the front door gave them a shock.

"I thought no one was coming here for a few days!" Cal hissed as he leapt to his feet, running into the next room to grab his back pack, leaving Boges to flounder on the floor, scurrying to collect their food.

"That's what my uncle said! It should have been safe till Saturday!"

Cal sped into the bathroom, grabbing a couple of bottles from the sink and the small towel he had placed on the rack. There was a jangling sound, and voices. He met up with Boges in one of the back corridors of the mansion.

"We need to find the back door!" he whispered, pressing a finger over his lips to warn Boges to be quiet. His friend nodded, looking nervous and clutching the bag of hot chips tightly. They crept round the corridor and emerged into a large living room, with yet another flat screen TV. "The back door is through here," Cal said, leading Boges through a couple more rooms and finally into a laundry, where a double-locked door covered with security-strength fly-screen led out into the garden. It took only a few seconds for Cal to unlock it and flee outside. He crept through the garden and sidled round the fence, noticing Boges' uncle's truck parked outside the front. Sure that the street was clear, he jogged quickly round a corner and into the quieter road beyond, stopping behind a large oak tree.

"Wow, that was close," Boges puffed as he finally caught up.

"I thought you said that I was fine to stay there till Saturday!" Cal said crossly. His heart was beating fast from the close encounter.

"That's what my uncle told me," Boges said apologetically, pulling out his phone and flicking to a text message. "See! No more cleaning till Saturday!"

Cal took a close look at the message. "You idiot!" he swore, "It says you have till Saturday to finish cleaning, and then no more after that. You could have got me caught!" He glared at his friend, who was looking red and meek.

"I'm awfully sorry Cal… I didn't mean-"

"I don't care what you mean! I-" Cal's voice cracked as he looked at his friend's bashful face. After all Boges had done for him, he couldn't bear to stay angry with him for long. "Don't worry…"

Boges still looked uncertain.

"Come on. Let's go finish those hot chips, and then try and think up some other place where I can stay…"

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On a slightly irrelevant note, anyone know why they changed Boges' name from Bodhan to Bogdan (spelling?) in the TV series? I can't think of a fathomable reason why they would do that... 'May' is on tonight :P Reviews appreciated!


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